Rotary engine.



No, 727,122. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

E. E. FULLER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1902.

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PATENTED MAY 5, 1903'.

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Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EBEN E. FULLER, OF LITTLEFALLS, MINNESOTA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SI EGIFICATIONfOrming part of Letters Patent No. 727,122, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed November 22, 1902. Serial No. 132,466. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern).-

Be it known that I, EBEN E. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Littlefalls, in the county of Morrison and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in steam-engines, and espe-, cially in the provision in a rotary engine of a cylinderhavingaplurality of compartments and a shaft mounted eccentrically in the ends of the cylinder and compartment-wall and a piston positioned in each compartment and keyed to the shaft, with concentrically-rotating disks which are secured to a block carried by the pistons and inthe partition, of

wings one mounted in each compartment and fastened to disks which wipe against the in ner circumference of the cylinder.

My invention relates, further, to various details of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and-then specifically defined in the My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a partof this application, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts similar view showing a slight modification of Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the the details. disk, which has secured thereto a Wing mounted in the piston. Fig. 5 isa detailed View of for the reception of the shaftjof theengine.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a. wing and portions of disks to which it is secured.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the cylinder of the engine, which is cored out or recessed at A to receive the abutments' a a.

B represents solid pistons, which are keyed to the shaft B.

In the drawings I have shown the cylinder divided into two compartments, and in each compartment is a similarly-mounted piston B, and said shaft is mounted to have bearings in the eccentrically-formed apertures F. in the disks F, there being preferably one of said disks F intermediate the two compartments, forming a wall between the two chambers, and also at the outer ends of the cylinder. preferably, by means of bolts passing through the shell of thecylinder and into the periphery of the disks, those at the ends of the cylinder being controlled by compensating or temper screws f. Each piston has mounted in a recess in its circumference a cylindrical block B which block is transversely slotted to receive a Wing (Land the ends of each wing C are fastened, by means of lag-screws C, in radial grooves in the circular disks E, which have concentric apertures therein, which apertures are of considerably larger diameterthan the diameter of the shaft for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The circumferences of the disks E fit the inner circumference of the compartments of the cylinder as snugly as consistent with their rotating within the cylinders without undue friction, and the wings C are positioned in the respective pistons in positions diametrically opposite for the purpose of allowing steam to enter one compartment of the cylinder simultaneously with the expanding of the steam in the second compartment of the cylinder, thereby causing the force of the steam to bear continuously upon the rotating shaft.

As the disks E are circular and conform to the shape of the inner circumference of the with the wing, and byreason of the wings being fastened to the disks E the latter will rotate in stationary positions, which will causethe wings to have a reciprocating These disks F are held in place,

movement, so that the outer edges thereof will wipe against the inner circumferences of the cylinder-chambers.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a slight modification, in which the disks F are provided with bosses F, the purpose of which is to carry the washers E and find thereon their bearings instead of on their peripheries, as would be the case in the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The inlet-port for the steam when driving the piston inone direction is illustrated in Fig. l by letter K and the exhaust by letter K, and when the engine is driven in the reverse direction the steam will enter the port K and exhaust through the port K.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In running the engine to the right, as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings, steam is admitted through the port K, and as it enters it comes in contact with the abutmentaand being defiectedthereby comes in contact with the wing G, forcingit around to the right, and as said wing is confined in the block which is carried by the piston B and as said piston is keyed to theoperating-shaft B the latter will be rotated. Steam is admitted to the cylinder and acts upon the wing G during a one-half rotation of the piston, or until said wing reaches the position indicated by dotted lines at O and when the wing reaches said position the cut off takes place and the expansion of the steam within the chamber begins. It will be observed that while the wing C in one compartment of the cylinder is turned to occupy the position designated by C the corresponding wing in the second I compartment will have passed from the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 to a position corresponding to the position shown by the wing G in Fig. l and steam will be admitted to the second compartment of the cylinder, and it will be observed that when out olf takes place in one section of the cylinder steam is admitted to the other, so that at every point of revolution steam is entering one section and expansion is going on in the other alternately. To reverse the engine, steam is admitted at port K and exhaust is made at port K and the operation is the same.

From the foregoing it will be observed that,

many advantages may be obtained from a multisection cylinder over the common types of rotary engines in which a plurality of the wings are employed and in which the expansive force of the steam is not utilized, as by the provision of the two compartments of the cylinder each having a piston with single wings alternately arranged power is applied to the shaft during its complete revolution, thus overcoming the troublesome feature known as dead-point.

Some of the advantages secured by an invention made in accordance with my invention whereby the expansive force of the steam is utilized will be noted in the crescent-shaped space between the shell and the piston and which is occupied by steam when in operation.

Referring to Fig, 1, it will be noted that steam is turned on through the port K until the wing 0 reaches the position 0 which amounts to a one-half revolution, after which the port K is closed and'no more steam is admitted to that section until the revolution is completed.

It will be noted that the shape of the space in the cylinder between C and the exit-port K is crescent-shaped and adapted to be filled by the expanding steam as the wing advances in its travel, said space being crescent-shaped with its point away from the advancing wing, and consequently the tax upon the expanding volume is greatly lessened as the point of exit is approached. Itis apparent, then, that the expanding steam parts withits elasticity at a slower rate and that a higher rate of efficiency is maintained than would be the case if the space were of a difierent shape.

By the provision of an invention made in accordance with my invention no uncertain features, as springs, weights, '&c., are employed. Each movement has positive rotating parts, which are well-balanced, and hence a high rate of speed may be safely maintained, and the parts which are most subject to wear and leakage are made adjustable, and an effective means is provided to accomplish the results sought for.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rotary steam-engine, comprisinga cylinder, a plurality of compartments therein, with steam inlet and exit ports, a shaft mounted eccentrically in the ends of said cylinder and the compartment-wall, a piston positioned in each compartment and keyed to said shaft, concentrically rotating disks mounted within each compartment, a block mounted in a recess in each piston, and a wing movably held by said block and fastened at its ends to said disks and adapted to wipe against the inner circumference of the cylinder as the wing is driven forward by steam coming in contact therewith, as set forth.

2. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder having a plurality of compartments therein, with steam inlet and exit ports, shaft-supportingdisks mounted in the outer ends of the cylinder, compensating screws bearing against said disks, a similar disk forming a partition-wall between said compartments, a piston positioned in each compartment, a shaft eccentrically mounted in said disks to which the pistons are keyed, a movable wing mounted in a recess in each piston, circular disks, with central apertures, mounted within each compartment and secured to said wing, the latter adapted as the piston rotates to wipe against the inner circumference of the cylinder, as set forth.

3. A rotary engine, comprising a cylinder ICO with a 'plurality 0t compartments therein, ner circumference of the cylinder, the two steam inlet and exit ports, a shaft mounted wings arranged in diametrically opposite reeccentrically within said cylinder, a piston lation, whereby the force of the steam may positioned in each compartment and keyed continuously bear against the rotating shaft, I5 5 to said shaft, a wing having a reciprocating as set forth.

movement in the recess in each piston, cir- In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my cular disks with central apertures mounted signature in presence of two Witnesses. 1 within each compartment and having radial EBEN E. FULLER. grooves in which the opposite ends of said Witnesses:

1o wing are seated and fastened, the outer edges LYMAN SIGOUR,

of each wing adapted to wipe against the in- VICTOR SCHALLERN. 

